Frequently Asked Questions
What is SYGNAL?
SYGNAL is a cross-platform training platform for hazmat, CBRNE, and gas detection. It replaces expensive hardware simulators with a mobile app that simulates gas detectors, provides live team tracking, and generates automatic after-action reports.
What devices does SYGNAL work on?
iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. The Command feature also works via web browser for incident commanders who prefer a larger screen.
What is a SYGNAL Source?
SYGNAL Source is a small Bluetooth beacon you mount in your physical training environment. The app detects nearby Sources and generates simulated gas readings based on your physical proximity and the configured hazard, range, and alarm thresholds. Sources work fully offline — no internet, no cell signal — and run for 2+ years on standard AAA batteries.
Do I need a SYGNAL Source to use the app?
No. SYGNAL works without any hardware using instructor-controlled scenarios over the network. The SYGNAL Source adds physical proximity-based simulation for enhanced realism, but the app is fully functional in network-only mode.
How does licensing work?
SYGNAL uses org-wide licensing. One annual license covers your entire organization with no per-user fees. Licenses are sized to your department — from volunteer departments to multi-agency regional programs. Members authenticate via their organizational email domain, so adding or removing personnel never requires a billing change.
Can multiple agencies train together?
Yes. SYGNAL supports multi-agency exercises with participants from different organizations operating on a shared scenario. Each agency sees their own team's readings; incident command sees the combined operational picture. Ideal for interoperability drills, regional response training, and joint hazmat exercises.
Does SYGNAL work offline?
Yes. With a SYGNAL Source beacon, the app works fully offline via Bluetooth. No internet, no cell signal, no Wi-Fi required. Network-based sessions (where the instructor pushes scenarios remotely) do require internet connectivity for the instructor and students.
What gases can SYGNAL simulate?
Virtually any gas or hazard, including O₂, CO, H₂S, LEL, VOCs, chemical warfare agents (nerve agents, blister agents), toxic industrial chemicals, radiation, and custom industrial hazards. Readings, alarm thresholds, and sensor behavior are fully configurable per scenario, so the experience matches the specific monitor your team carries in the field.
Does SYGNAL training align with NFPA standards?
Yes. SYGNAL training aligns with NFPA 1010 (Professional Qualifications for Emergency Responders, which absorbed Firefighter I/II qualifications among others in the recent NFPA restructure) and NFPA 1072 (Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials and WMD Incidents). Per-trainee after-action reports support training records, recertification, and accreditation.
Is SYGNAL patented?
Yes. SYGNAL's simulation engine and BLE proximity system are patented. The approach of using smartphones as detector interfaces with Bluetooth beacons as hazard sources is fundamentally different from legacy hardware simulators.
How do I get started?
Book a free demo to see SYGNAL run with your scenarios, or contact us for a quote sized to your department. Setup is fast: download the app, enter your organization code, and start training. Most departments are running their first scenario the same day.